Aeroplane machine



B. ZAHAROFF AEROPLANE MACHINE July 21, 1931.

Filed April 18, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l l/WENTUR BASIL ZAHAROFF A TTOR/VEY July 21, 1931.

B. ZAHAROFF AEROPLANE MACHINE 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1928 mu'uw NVE/VTOR BASIL ZAHAROFF ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1931 PATENT OFFICE nasn. zamo'rr, or xnw YORK AEBOPLANE momma Applicationflled April 18, 1928'. Serial no. 270,844..

This invention relates to aircraft machines, and while it has particular applicationto heavier than air machines, I WlSh it to be understood that it is not limited to such use as it maybe embodied in other es of air craft such as lighter than air machines, and the like.

In the present instance it is my purpose to provide a heavier than air machine with a plurality-of motors arranged in the vertical central line of the machine, and to either side of the center of gravity thereof, together with stabilizing dev ces at the rear end rtion of themachine, to the end that t ere 10. will be no dead weight lateral down pull and loss of stability in the event of inaction from any cause whatever on the part of the power plant located to one side of the center of gravity, as inevitably results when a plurality of motors are spaced along a horizontal line.

A further object of the invention is to provide'for obtaining in an air craft machine a push pull system of propulsion by arranging a plurality of motors in tandem relation and with the propellers operated thereby disposed in juxtaposition and adopted for rotation in opposite directions so that the wind force generated by one propeller is directed upon the adjacent propeller and acts there- ,on as an auxiliary force to the end that the energy of the power plant .as a whole is materially increased.

Other objects will appear and be be tter 35 understood from the following descrlptlon. The invention is defined in the claims.

A satisfactory embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawmgs in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the front of the machine showing the motors mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a sectional diagrammatic view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view.

In the drawings A indicates generally a heavier than air flying machine of the hydroplane monopla ne type and having a single toons 6 and 7 are provided for adapting the wing 9. A pair of oppositely disposed pen machine as a whole to descend and float upon water. The pontoons 6 and 7 are spaced hori- -ozntally and disposed to either side of the or passenger carrym body 8, arranged in vertical alinement wit the pontoon and connected thereto as at 4. The top portion of each fuselage '8 is suitably secured to the lower side of the supporting wing 9, and the latter is disposed with. its center approximately inthe center of gravity of machine A.

A motor 14 is supported as at 19 in the space between the bodies 8 and arranged so that the shaft 15 of its propeller 18 terminates adjacent to a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of machine A. A second motor 20 is supported as at 21 above wing 9 with its propeller 22 in vertical alinement with propeller 18. -Horizontally disposed upper and lower stabilizers respectively designated by 23 and 24 are supported by a suitable frame work B at the rear end portion of the machine. The said frame work also supporting horizontally disposed upper and lower elevators respectively designated by 25 and 26, together with a pair of vertically disposed fins 27 and 28. The stabilizers, elevators and fins are of'conventional construction and are connected to and operable by the usual controls (not shown) accessible to the driver, a vertically disposed rudder device of conventional construction 10 is supported by frame work B and con nected to the usual operating mechanism (not shown and located adjacent to the drivers seat). The pivotal supports-29 for the stabilizers and the elevators are respectively arranged in alinement with the motors 14 and 20 so that in the event of either ofthe said motors becoming inactive the stability of the machine may be preserved by operating the proper stabilizing mechanism.

A second pair of motors respectively designated by 13 and 30 are disposed in horizontal alinement with the motors 14 and 20. The propeller shaft 16 of motor 13 is opposed to the propeller shaft 15 and the propeller 17 is disposed adjacent to a vertical line'passing through the center of gravity of the machine and in juxtaposition to propeller 18. The propeller 31 of motor 30 is dis ed in vertical alinement with propeller 1 and is adapted to rotate in the same direction as the latter, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. Propellers 1822 rotate in corresponding directions as indicated by the arrows and opposite to the direction of rotation of prepellers 17 and 31.

With this construction, it is obvious that in the operation of the motors and it' being understood that the rear propellers are adapted to exert a pull and the forward propellers a push, the propellers cooperate to impart progressive forward movement to machine A. It has been found that the herein described arrangement of propellers develops a greater degree of energy than has heretofore been had with the various conventional arrangements of motors and propellers.

It has been further found that the use of the present arrangement of propellers provides for confining the seat of impulse in a multi-motor or propeller machine, to substantially a single locality as in a single motor or propeller machine so that the stability of machine is not'materially disturbed in the event of failure of either motor or pair of motors to operate from any cause.

It is, of course, to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the structure shown and described. Motors and propellers may be arranged in tandem relation either above or below the Win 9, or the arrangement of single motors a ove andbelow the wing only, may be used.

It is further not necessary that the machine be of the hydroplane type, or provided with a plurality-of passenger carrying bodies, or be of the monoplane type. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art of aero-dynamics that the'arrangement of motors and propellers shown may be readily used in connection with any of the conventional types of heavier or lighter than air machines.

Claims: g

1. In an air craft machine a pair of motors arranged one above the other and having propellers disposed in ertical alinement and with their axis terminating adjacent to a vertical linepassing through the center of gravity of the machine. I

2. In an air craft machine a pair of motors arranged one above the other and on op posite sides of the center of gravity of the machine, propellers connected to and operated by said motors and disposed in vertical alinement with their axis terminating at points adjacent to a vertical line extending through the center of gravity of the machine.

3. In an aircraft machine a supporting wing, passenger carrying bodies located underneath and connected to said wing and disposed in spaced relation to either side of the longitudinal central line of the vehicle, spaced pairs of motors arranged directly one above the other, the motors formin each pair having axially alined propeller s afts with their free ends uxtaposed in the space between said motors, and a push pull device comprising a pair of propellers carried by the free end portions of said shafts and arranged immediately adjacent the center of gravity of the machine.

4. In an aircraft machine a single pair of motors arranged one above the other and located respectively on opposite sides of the longitudinal andvertical centers of gravity of the machine, said motors having their propeller shafts with free ends adjacent to a vertical line passing through the centre of gravity of the machine, and a push pull device comprising a pair of propellers respectively mounted on said free ends of the propeller shafts.

BASIL ZAHAROFF. 

